![]() Many students, from the overachieving to the underachieving, forgo the reading process for English AND Mandarin. I am sure by now you have read enough to know that many "foreign" teachers continuously stressed the importance of reading to their kids. Unfortunately, not much has changed from the early 1990's up to now. Many still lack the reading skills necessary to advance their language skills (yes, this includes adults who CLAIM that they want to have better English). So why is it so important to read? The truth is, reading allows people to see how the language is used. There is no other way. Forgive me for being blunt or honest, but the current English textbooks under the current curriculum is so devastating in quality and off in purpose, I don't see the point in using them at all. Had I had more time to rewrite the textbook using the intended vocabulary, I would have. Yet, the remaining free time I have doesn't allow me to do so. High quality textbooks are required to learn grammar and style. Unfortunately, the public education system is not willing to spend more than it already has at the moment. Strangely, they rely on lackluster efforts of writers who aren't paid enough to design textbooks diligently. But that's ok. When there is a will, there is a way. If you or your kid is in elementary school, I suggest starting with pronouncing properly first. In saying so, I don't mean accents. I meant the way a word SHOULD be pronounced based on IPA or KK. Consonants and vowels, whatever. Middle school students should start reading fiction books with few or no pictures. This is the beginning of word visualization and understanding without any extra aid besides the content itself. Near the end of middle school and the rest of high school, they should be reading at least 1~2 articles of USAToday, 2 CNN articles per week, or 1 long BBC article per week. Advanced readers can proceed to history or science websites for deeper reading. Most importantly, don't just read for the sake of reading. Read because you want to know more about how English is used and what words are interesting, useful, and meaningful for expressions.
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May 2022
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